Windows: Yesterday we showed you how to remotely control a computer through Dropbox. Want to further automate your online syncing? MailDrop automatically grabs attachments from a particular email folder or label and stashes them in your cloud-based Dropbox storage.

Windows: You can do a lot more with the free cross-platform utility Dropbox than sync files. In…
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Why would MailDrop be useful, beyond what a Drobox user can already do with their automatic folders and web access? Because it monitors only a specific label or folder in your email account, MailDrop makes it very easy to back up important files that get sent to your inbox. If you set that folder in your Dropbox account to be shared with others, it's also a one-click solution for getting important files to collaborators and friends. Finally, if you're on a device without a decent browser or a native Dropbox client (we're looking at you, BlackBerry), it's not too hard to set up a filter or folder rule that automatically shuffles files you mail to yourself into your Dropbox account.

What about the application itself? It's self-contained and portable, and runs in the Windows system tray, periodically checking an email address, via IMAP connection, for activity in a folder you specify. It's set up from the get-go for easy Gmail access, but you can manually tweak its server, port, and SSL settings for any IMAP-compatible service. If you find it helpful, you'll want to add it to your Start menu's Startup folder and set up your email with a unique folder or label for MailDrop to monitor.